Case Study Schooling the sector itself According to studies, over a third (35%) of school buildings in England aren’t fit for purpose. School leaders cry out for improvements and repairs to be made on their current buildings. Extra classrooms are required to meet bustling demand. 43% of school leaders in the south west and 41% in the south east saying their buildings are not fit for purpose at all. Needless to say, the work is there for the construction industry, but where are the people? School Building Editor Joe Bradbury investigates: The industry is currently in the grips of a skills shortage. If we are to stand any chance of delivering the types of buildings sorely needed by Britain’s educational sector, something must be done about this. Skills shortage Speaking recently about the skills shortage, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders Brian Berry said “we’ve been experiencing a severe shortage of bricklayers and carpenters for quite some time – these latest statistics show that skills shortages are now seeping into other key trades such as roofers and plumbers. Indeed, of the 15 key trades and occupations we monitor, 40% show skills shortages at their highest point since we started to feel the effects of the skills crisis in 2013 when the industry bounced back post-downturn. This growing skills deficit is driving up costs for small firms and simultaneously adding to the pressure being felt by soaring material prices linked to the weaker pound. “The Government needs to be taking note of the worsening construction skills shortage now that we know that the UK will be negotiating a hard Brexit. The Prime Minister must ensure that the immigration system that replaces the free movement of people serves key sectors such as construction and house building. Our sector relies heavily on skilled labour from the EU, with 12% of the British construction workforce being of non-UK origin. As the construction industry represents around 7% of UK GDP, it’s in no one’s interest to pull the rug out from under the sector by introducing an inflexible and unresponsive immigration system.” Efforts to address it In an effort to address the worsening skills shortage, Education Secretary Damian Hinds recently unveiled new ‘hubs’ based at live construction sites, which will train up thousands of workers and help close the skills gap in the construction industry. Twenty six innovative partnerships across the country have won a share of the £22 million Construction Skills Fund to set up the new ‘hubs’ which will train more than 17,000 people to be job and site-ready by March 2020. The winning projects, including Southwark Construction Skills Centre in South London and Liverpool Waters Construction Hub in the North West, have collectively committed to training up over 7,000 people into permanent jobs by the end of the programme. With an estimated 158,000 new construction workers needed in the UK over the next five years, the scheme will help create the skilled workers to meet this challenge. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said “It is vital that we have a strong workforce post- Brexit. The Construction Skills Fund will ensure more people gain the skills they need to forge a successful career and help create the skilled workers we need to deliver on our housing ambitions. “I’m pleased to announce the 26 winning projects that will train up thousands of workers and help tackle the skills shortages in the construction industry. To support this drive further we are transforming technical education including introducing a brand new T Level in construction, a high-quality technical qualification which will be rolled out from 2020. “Whether building new homes or contributing to major infrastructure projects to keep our country connected, working in construction means helping to shape Britain in the months and years ahead. All the ‘hubs’ will be based at live construction sites so trainees learn in a realworld construction environment and gain the practical skills they need to secure a rewarding career in construction. The Construction Skills Fund will help inform the design of the National Retraining Scheme, which the Chancellor recently announced will be backed by £100m. This ambitious programme to drive adult learning and retraining forms a part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy – a long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future by helping businesses create jobs in every part of the UK. The scheme is funded by the Department for Education and is being delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, said “The Construction Skills Fund can be a genuine game-changer for both the construction industry and the individuals being trained. We have a massive need for homegrown talent and these projects will bring thousands of new people into our sector, giving them the crucial onsite experience they need to start a career in construction. These 26 hubs will be based at some of the most innovative sites in the UK, and CITB will be working hard to make sure they deliver the skills our industry critically needs.” In conclusion Everybody has a right to a decent education. The future success of our society depends upon it! Our places of learning need to be improved fast and the only way this can happen is by removing barriers that delay this. It is not acceptable that in 21st Century Britain a third of headteachers are reporting that school buildings not fit for purpose. It is not acceptable that pupils are being taught in damp, cold classrooms in schools that are rapidly running out of space. It is not acceptable that some children have to resort to wearing coats in lessons to keep warm, while others have been forced to do their work on the floor because there are simply not enough chairs and desks. The situation is only set to get worse if we don’t do something about it. The school building sector needs us now more than ever. Official government figures indicate that secondary schools in England are facing a boom in pupils, with numbers set to rise by more than 600,000 over the next few years. Let’s check ourselves and make sure we’re fit for the task, because make no mistake we have a task on our hands! 14 Winter 2019 <strong>4156</strong>
Winter 2019 <strong>4156</strong> It is not acceptable that pupils are being taught in damp, cold classrooms in schools that are rapidly running out of space.
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